Bakura slammed the door behind him, barely pausing to violently kick off his shoes before storming into the hallway. Ripping open his uniform jacket, he flung it away, hurling the Ring after it, the rest of his clothing swiftly following as he headed for the shower.
Angrily he turned on the hot water to full and stepped in, welcoming the scalding temperatures as the water continued to get warmer. He faced the spray, expression almost defiant as the heat attacked him. It was relaxing, the burning water pelting his skin. It was like peeling off a scab... it hurt, but feel so good.... He used to hate pain, but he now welcomed it. Something his darker half had caused, no doubt, he reflected, as he near unconsciously touched the scar on his arm his other had inflicted. He could see in his other's memory, himself with the blood on his fingers and hear the gleeful cackling. Oh, how it had hurt when he woke from that... His fingers tensed, nails digging into the pale scar tissue. Swearing softly, he pulled away, watching the blood wash away from his nails. If only everything could be washed away so easily....
Yuugi hesitated outside Bakura's apartment, then took a deep breath, knocking on the door.
He fidgeted as there was no answer. "Bakura-kun?" he called, knocking again. "Bakura-kun, it's me, Yuugi." He waited again, listening for any sound from inside. Water. He could hear water running. Maybe Bakura-kun couldn't hear him over the water? Carefully, he turned the knob. Finding it unlocked, he pushed open the door. "Bakura-kun?" he called. "Bakura-kun, it's--" He trailed off as he saw the state of the apartment.
Bakura's torn clothing led a trail into the bathroom, where Yuugi realized the boy was showering. The potted plants in the entry were gone, a few shards of broken pottery and a dirt stain the only traces that they had ever been. There was a dent in one of the walls the size of a fist and the lone painting that remained on the wall had a crack in the glass that looked like something had been flung at it. Face lined with worry, Yuugi removed his shoes and carefully stepped into the apartment.
The mirror in the hallway was just an empty frame and Yuugi bit his lip, realizing how Bakura had really hurt his hand. The game room was almost exactly the same as it had been the last time Yuugi had been over, the towers of Monster World casting strange shadows on the unlit room. Shivering slightly, Yuugi past the room, wondering why Bakura still had the game that his darker half had used to trap his friends' souls. Thoughts of the game vanished from Yuugi's mind as he entered the kitchen.
There were slit-like holes in the walls, the knives that had caused them still embedded deeply near them, and the garbage can was near overflowing with broken glass and splinters of wood and plastic, some of them tainted with splotches of deep red.
Yuugi stared in mix shock and horror at the destruction. 'What could have caused Bakura-kun to do this...?' he wondered. His eyes suddenly went wise. 'Masaka! Bakura-kun wa--'
His froze as footsteps stopped behind him. "What are you doing here....?"
Yuugi turned slowly at the cold voice. "Bakura-kun, I--" His eyes went wide at his friends appearance. Cold and almost reddish narrowed eyes, wild hair that managed to stick up despite being wet, lips curled in a silent snarl.... 'Yami no Bakura!' Yuugi exclaimed mentally as the boy took a step closer. 'Demo...' He looked at Bakura's bare chest. 'Ring ga nai...' he thought in shock, unconsciously taking a step backwards.
"Yuugiiiii...." Bakura growled, advancing further, his eyes blazing, and hands shaking with uncontrolled anger. Suddenly the pale haired boy's hands shot out and wrapped themselves around Yuugi's neck, causing him to cry out. "Why the hell are you here?! Haven't you done enough?!" Bakura shouted as he squeezed, entire body shaking.
"Ba...kura... ku...n..." Yuugi gasped, trying to pry Bakura's hands off him as he looked at his friend with compassion and concern.
"Don't look at me like that!" Bakura near screeched, shaking growing worse as his hands began to lose their grip. "I hate you! You've come though this all unscathed while I--- while I---!!" He tried to tighten his grip again.
"Bakura-kun...." Yuugi whispered, reaching out to touch his friend. "Please... this isn't you..."
The boy gave a bitter laugh that turned into a choked sob. Slowly, he let go of Yuugi's neck, arms falling limply to their sides. "Oh god, Yuugi-kun..." he cried softly, falling to his knees and burring his face in his hands. "Please.... make it go away..." he near whimpered.
Yuugi knelt in front of the boy, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Make what go away, Bakura-kun?" he asked softly.
"Everything...."
Angrily he turned on the hot water to full and stepped in, welcoming the scalding temperatures as the water continued to get warmer. He faced the spray, expression almost defiant as the heat attacked him. It was relaxing, the burning water pelting his skin. It was like peeling off a scab... it hurt, but feel so good.... He used to hate pain, but he now welcomed it. Something his darker half had caused, no doubt, he reflected, as he near unconsciously touched the scar on his arm his other had inflicted. He could see in his other's memory, himself with the blood on his fingers and hear the gleeful cackling. Oh, how it had hurt when he woke from that... His fingers tensed, nails digging into the pale scar tissue. Swearing softly, he pulled away, watching the blood wash away from his nails. If only everything could be washed away so easily....
Yuugi hesitated outside Bakura's apartment, then took a deep breath, knocking on the door.
He fidgeted as there was no answer. "Bakura-kun?" he called, knocking again. "Bakura-kun, it's me, Yuugi." He waited again, listening for any sound from inside. Water. He could hear water running. Maybe Bakura-kun couldn't hear him over the water? Carefully, he turned the knob. Finding it unlocked, he pushed open the door. "Bakura-kun?" he called. "Bakura-kun, it's--" He trailed off as he saw the state of the apartment.
Bakura's torn clothing led a trail into the bathroom, where Yuugi realized the boy was showering. The potted plants in the entry were gone, a few shards of broken pottery and a dirt stain the only traces that they had ever been. There was a dent in one of the walls the size of a fist and the lone painting that remained on the wall had a crack in the glass that looked like something had been flung at it. Face lined with worry, Yuugi removed his shoes and carefully stepped into the apartment.
The mirror in the hallway was just an empty frame and Yuugi bit his lip, realizing how Bakura had really hurt his hand. The game room was almost exactly the same as it had been the last time Yuugi had been over, the towers of Monster World casting strange shadows on the unlit room. Shivering slightly, Yuugi past the room, wondering why Bakura still had the game that his darker half had used to trap his friends' souls. Thoughts of the game vanished from Yuugi's mind as he entered the kitchen.
There were slit-like holes in the walls, the knives that had caused them still embedded deeply near them, and the garbage can was near overflowing with broken glass and splinters of wood and plastic, some of them tainted with splotches of deep red.
Yuugi stared in mix shock and horror at the destruction. 'What could have caused Bakura-kun to do this...?' he wondered. His eyes suddenly went wise. 'Masaka! Bakura-kun wa--'
His froze as footsteps stopped behind him. "What are you doing here....?"
Yuugi turned slowly at the cold voice. "Bakura-kun, I--" His eyes went wide at his friends appearance. Cold and almost reddish narrowed eyes, wild hair that managed to stick up despite being wet, lips curled in a silent snarl.... 'Yami no Bakura!' Yuugi exclaimed mentally as the boy took a step closer. 'Demo...' He looked at Bakura's bare chest. 'Ring ga nai...' he thought in shock, unconsciously taking a step backwards.
"Yuugiiiii...." Bakura growled, advancing further, his eyes blazing, and hands shaking with uncontrolled anger. Suddenly the pale haired boy's hands shot out and wrapped themselves around Yuugi's neck, causing him to cry out. "Why the hell are you here?! Haven't you done enough?!" Bakura shouted as he squeezed, entire body shaking.
"Ba...kura... ku...n..." Yuugi gasped, trying to pry Bakura's hands off him as he looked at his friend with compassion and concern.
"Don't look at me like that!" Bakura near screeched, shaking growing worse as his hands began to lose their grip. "I hate you! You've come though this all unscathed while I--- while I---!!" He tried to tighten his grip again.
"Bakura-kun...." Yuugi whispered, reaching out to touch his friend. "Please... this isn't you..."
The boy gave a bitter laugh that turned into a choked sob. Slowly, he let go of Yuugi's neck, arms falling limply to their sides. "Oh god, Yuugi-kun..." he cried softly, falling to his knees and burring his face in his hands. "Please.... make it go away..." he near whimpered.
Yuugi knelt in front of the boy, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Make what go away, Bakura-kun?" he asked softly.
"Everything...."